Do you know what today is?
It’s a special one.
On this day, we are giving the recognition that has been long overdue to the courageous women of this world – it’s International Women’s Day!
Here at Von Mack, we want to give our gratitude to all those fearless women out there who aren’t afraid to push the boundaries and continue to inspire us in the tourism industry.
It might not be much of a surprise to hear that the majority of the people in the tourism workforce are female.
Let’s face it, a woman’s communication skills alone could build a tourism empire! Pair that with a can-do attitude and some organizational know-how, and you have yourself a few reasons why 54 percent of people employed in tourism are women, compared to 39 percent in the broader economy.
However, also unsurprisingly, despite having such a huge presence in the industry, women only hold 12% of leadership positions in the tourism industry, compared to men.
This means the odds of a woman becoming a CEO in this industry is one in every twenty men.
If you’re thinking that those stats sound a bit sparse, that’s because they are. And what’s more, and here’s the kicker, they’re also paid less.
Although this can all sound a bit daunting, the reality is women have already gone through great strides throughout history, and at Von Mack we have full faith that they will continue to do so.
More and more are challenging gender stereotypes in the sector and are assuming roles once dominated by men, such as tour guides, opps leads and CEO’s.
And despite the imbalance with males dominating in tourism leadership, women are coming in droves to show up and stand up in roles where they’re inching towards the positions they deserve.
As mentioned earlier, the amount of women in tourism is unsurprising, and if you’re still asking yourself why, here are just a few more reasons the industry flourishes with their presence.
- Greater emphasis on personal and hospitality skills.
- Higher prevalence of part-time and work-from-home options.
- Increased options for entrepreneurship that do not require heavy start-up financing.
- Opportunities through the sharing economy for women through online platforms, such as Airbnb, Uber, and Vacation Rentals by Owner (VRBO).
This industry may be large, but it still fosters a strong sense of camaraderie, commonly known as the “tourism family.” It’s something we feel honored to be a part of.
So we’d like to start this special day by giving a big shout-out to all the fantastic women in this industry, who have led the way, and shown outstanding examples of leadership.
We celebrate today because of you!
As we’re a woman-owned and operated company in the sector, we look forward to continuing to grow alongside you in this rapidly changing field.
So here’s to a future in tourism led by women! Please join us in celebrating the women of the past, in the present, and in all there is to come.
